P ADERBORN , SENNELA GER & DETMOLD 2012 Paderborn Garrison Town Histories


and Things To Do Paderborn History Paderborn, “the town of a hundred springs”, takes its name from the numerous springs which for centuries have welled from the ground immediately to the north of the Cathedral.


People originally settled in the area to be near the water, but Paderborn grew in importance as a centre of early trading routes. There have been many ‘finds’ of fragments of pottery and coins which show the Roman legions stayed in the vicinity. Charlemagne is said to have held an Imperial diet (a Council) here in 777 after he had defeated the Saxons and he introduced Christianity and had built Paderborn’s first church built. Recent excavations around the Cathedral have unearthed much to substantiate these claims. In 799 Pope Leo III, who had been driven from Rome, met Charlemagne and received support to defeat his enemies. The bones of St Liborius, who was adopted as the Patron Saint of the town and diocese, were brought from Le Mans in France in 836 – this event is celebrated in the Libori festival in July every year. Many churches and chapels have been constructed, destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries.


The town walls were built several times. The five entrance gates to the town – Heierstor, Gierstor, Spiringstor (Kasselor Tor), Westerntor and Riemeketor (Neuhäuser Tor) – are still in existence in name, in streets and roundabouts today. The town of Paderborn was the capital of the ancient “Fürstbistum” (Hochstift) most of what are today the Kreise of Paderborn and Höxter. Besides being the head of the Church the Prince-Bishops ruled at Neuhaus castle, whose beginnings reach back to the 13th century. It is of interest to note that many British Regiments were stationed in Paderborn or passed through in the 1760-61 period – a Scottish unit aroused the locals’ curiosity with their ‘aprons’ and music. Local history relates how there were several incidents of jealous husbands and not so faithful wives.


In 1802 Paderborn and the surrounding area was absorbed by secularizing the Church, which put an end to the temporal power of the Prince-Bishop – the “Hochstift”and Neuhaus Castle were handed over to the Prussian State.


During the Napoleonic Wars Napoleon’s brother became King of Westphalia which included Paderborn but by 1814 it was once more part of Prussia.


In 1945 the Second World War entered its final stages and Paderborn, in common with many towns, suffered concentrated bombing which resulted in the virtual destruction of the town. However, the Cathedral was restored, the town hall (Rathaus) was rebuilt to its original design of the early 17th century and although many of the original buildings were lost for ever there are still several corners of the old town to be seen reasonably intact.


Paderborn, the “cradle of the Holy Roman Empire” for more than eleven hundred years, has continued to expand but still retains much of the tranquillity of the past.


Paderborn Today Paderborn lies on the Westphalian plain to the south west of the Teutoburger Wald, about 60 miles east of Dortmund. To the south and west is the attractive forested Sauerland and the beautifully wooded area with the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe reservoirs, of Dambusters fame. The city of Paderborn is well served by road and


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